Speaking of H.A. Wilson, one of the many charming letters that have turned up in the ARA collection describes his means of transportation to and from campus. I’ve come to understand that the dramatic flourish of the long gloves, much like his walking out on a misbehaving class, was typical of Wilson:

I’m not sure what year cranking a car became obsolete, but I can provide one data point.
Years ago, a roommate had a ’57 MGA that he had restored. That car had a battery-powered starter, as well as a foldable crank stored in the “boot.” That crank could be inserted through a hole in the front bumper and then used to start the car if the battery was dead. So at least through 1957 there was at least one car in production that allowed the option.